President Donald Trump was informed in May by Attorney General Pam Bondi that his name appeared in Justice Department files related to Jeffrey Epstein, according to multiple sources familiar with the briefing. The meeting, which included Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, was described by two White House officials as routine, covering the broader review of materials tied to Epstein's sex-trafficking investigation.
While Bondi reportedly told the president that several high-profile individuals were named in the documents, she also emphasized that the department found no evidence of a so-called "client list," and no indication contradicting the official finding that Epstein died by suicide. "Nothing in the files warranted further investigation or prosecution," Bondi and Blanche said in a joint statement. "As part of our routine briefing, we made the President aware of the findings."
Despite the White House's characterization of the documents as containing unsubstantiated claims, the revelation that Trump was briefed on his inclusion in the files has reignited political controversy. Democrats, including Sen. Adam Schiff, are calling for Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel to testify before Congress. "We need to bring Bondi and Patel into the Judiciary Committee to testify about this now," Schiff said on X.
The situation escalated after a Wall Street Journal report revealed that a letter bearing Trump's name was found inside a photo album gifted to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003. Trump has denied writing the note and is now suing the Journal over the publication. "The White House does not view this as groundbreaking or new or surprising at all," a White House official told CNN. "The fact is that the President kicked him out of his club for being a creep," said Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung. "This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media."
Nonetheless, the administration has faced mounting pressure for failing to release more Epstein-related files, a reversal from earlier promises. The decision has frustrated segments of Trump's MAGA base and triggered calls from lawmakers for greater transparency. A House Oversight subcommittee voted Wednesday to subpoena the Justice Department for additional records.
Inside the White House, officials reportedly expressed anger at Bondi for failing to redact Trump's name from binders distributed to conservative influencers in February. The binders, part of a public engagement campaign, have become a flashpoint for intra-administration tension.
Adding to the complications, a federal judge on Wednesday rejected the Justice Department's motion to unseal grand jury transcripts related to the Epstein case, blocking what would have been the first major document release under the Trump administration's renewed push for openness. The move further complicates the president's efforts to contain backlash as scrutiny over his past association with Epstein intensifies.
Epstein, who died in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, maintained a wide network of elite connections in the 1990s and early 2000s, including celebrities and political figures. Trump had publicly called Epstein a "terrific guy" in 2002 but later claimed to have severed ties with him.
